He leaned away from my face with a smirk.

I wasn't sure if shock was evident on my face. Before anyone saw, I changed my expression to one of confusion.

"Haidee Eudora? You mean the selected?" I asked him.

This caught the attention of the others, especially Tony and Nina.

He shrugged and left me confused and scared. Tony met my eyes and instantly knew what was wrong. He gave me a look that said 'let's talk later'. I nodded a little in reply, forcing myself to stay neutral.

"Introduce yourselves now, boys. We still need to practice," Delilah instructed.

His little brother grinned and shook my hand, "Hello! I'm Hudson!"

The guy who took my hand and pulled me in front waved his hand in greeting, "I'm Damien Barrow."

Derek shrugged when everyone looked at him expectantly, "She already knows me. Why should I bother?"

I raised an eyebrow at him but he already turned his back and started walking away.

"You should practice now, Sophie's part shouldn't be kept waiting," he emphasized my fake name.

Does he really know something?

Tony gave me another look of the same kind as earlier before following Derek out the door.

Hudson shrugged at his mate's behavior. He smiled at me again, "It was nice meeting you, Sophie!"

Damien smiled and waved, "Bye. Hope to see you again."

Hudson strolled over to his friend and put his arm around him before leaving.

Delilah sighed, "I swear if my brother interrupts us again—"

"Let's just practice," Alyssa said, "From the top, guys!"

Maxine groaned, "Again? Can't we start where we left off?"

"From. The. Top," Delilah repeated, slowly pronouncing each word.

Psyche laughed at the girl, "You're the only one that gets exhausted every time."

"It's not my fault I get a lot of parts," she countered.

Psyche shrugged and proceeded to her place. I patted Maxine at the back before I went to my position. I sat back to back with Penelope behind Maxine.

I leaned my head on Penelope's left shoulder while she leaned her head on my left. She was across from Fiona who leaned her head on Nina's shoulder while Nina did the same, facing away.

Psyche and Heather did the same and so did Alyssa and Nichola. Maxine stood in the center with her head down.

The music started the same time we lifted our heads.

"Today, you sailed away," she sang, "all across the sea. Miles away from me."

(Argh :< I want to describe every bit of the choreography I came up with for this song but it's hard :( )

"And you, you said," she continued, "you'd be there for me, But you just destroyed me."

"In this island far away
Lives a petty girl who's me
Then you came along and said
'Hey you look perfect for me'
And the pitiful who's me,
believed the words so easily
You're playing with me then threw me away so easily," Fiona rapped.

My mind went blank as the song progressed on. My head was aching because of confusion.

What did he mean he owns me?

More importantly, how did he know it was me?

"I'm stuck in Ogygia
and nobody remembers me," Psyche sang.

Would he be a threat?

Is he against Tony?

Would he turn me in to Gabriel?

Would he boss me around?

What am I thinking? He may just be bluffing.

"You, your smile," Heather sang, "the one that makes my day. The one that makes me feel okay. But you, you said, together we can conquer all and you won't ever let me fall."

It was good that I snapped back to reality just before my part. I couldn't afford another mess up.

"Together forever?" I sang, "You said it yourself. Now I think it's never, I have no one else."

"You were just a guest, but nothing like the rest," Alyssa sang, "You stood out of everyone I ever met."

Maxine went in front and sang while dancing, "And I thought I was wrong, about you being gone, but I soon found out that I was right all along."

"And you said that you'd be here for me, whenever I would get gloomy," Psyche sang.

"But now I'm pouring rains of tears and you're nowhere here beside of me," Penelope sang.

Here it goes again. I do hope there isn't any distractions now.

"And when I see you there with her," I sang, "Holding her hand like lovers. It makes me always wonder if your promises would be gone forever," I sang the highest note.

My teammates took their partners and started dancing the ballroom dance. Psyche paired up with Maxine. Penelope with Heather. Nina with Nichola. Fiona and Alyssa.

I was left with no partner. This was the part where Delilah told me to do some ballet stuff and splits. In short, make myself the center of attention.

I was preparing to do a pirouette when Delilah found that it was the right time to talk.

"Stop!" She exclaimed.

We all stopped midway. We gave our manager curious glances.

"This part won't do," she commented. She pointed to us, "I don't like seeing you guys dancing with each other. We're going to have back-up dancers here. Boys will be paired to you. They're probably trainees or just back-up dancers. Idols, if you're lucky. I'll talk to the boss about this. In the meantime, let me see your gracefulness in ballroom dances."

I pointed to myself, "So . . . No more splits?"

She nodded, "No more splits."

I grinned, "Great!"

"But that means you still have to show me your gracefulness in dancing. And honestly? I doubt you're great at that."

I smirked, "Let's see about that."

Delilah rolled her eyes, "Are you claiming that you know how? Because, Sophie, what you're dancing right now is hiphop. That is really different from ballroom dance."

I shrugged, "We won't know if we dont try, right?"

Psyche nudged me, "Hey, are you secretly a genius at this?"

I smiled and shrugged, "Let's say I'm not."

She rolled her eyes, "And that basically means you totally are."

I chuckled, "Let's just do it. Miss Delilah? What are the steps?"

She showed me the video of the dance and they were really, really, basic. Beside me, Psyche had her eyebrows furrowed.

"How do you expect us to do that?" She asked, "that's a dance that needs the best skills!"

I memorized the steps quickly, "I don't think so," I said and got away from the crowded place where we gathered to watch the dance.

They watched me as I made my way away from them to do the steps.

"You just have to do this," I said and did the steps.

By the time I was done, their jaws were wide open.

"What? How?" Nina asked.

"Were you perhaps a royal before you cane here?" Maxine asked.

I laughed, no but I would have been one, "That's ridiculous! I just . . . know stuff."

Delilah cleared her throat, "Well, it's clear now that I was mistaken. My apologies."

I smiled, "It's okay. Now who wants to learn first?"

The eight girls rushed to me and yelled 'me' a lot of times. Even quiet and distant Heather approached me. Nichola was the first one who got the steps but it wasn't exactly graceful. She was really skilled at hip hop dances but it's different when it comes to gracefulness. Penelope got the gracefulness down but she couldn't keep up with the steps.

The rest of the morning was spent with me teaching them the dance and Delilah calling Samuel about the nine males who would be our partners. I overheard some sentences like 'only five dancers?' And 'oh okay. Would they accept?' Also 'are you sure?'. It lead me to a few ideas but I thought that was unlikely.

Delilah checked her watch, "Let's continue practicing later. It's lunchtime now. Go eat. Be here before one o'clock."

Psyche and Maxine pulled me outside the room, the other girls trailing behind us.

When we were out of earshot, Psyche nodded to Maxine.

Maxine cleared her throat, "You knew Derek in the past?"

I was about to ask what she meant but then I flash-backed to earlier when he claimed that I already knew him.

"No," I answered, "I don't think I do."

I don't recall an introverted annoying guy from my childhood. If I did meet him, that means that I hated him so much I managed to remove my memory of him.

"Oh come on!" Psyche exclaimed and shook my arm, "don't keep the details to yourself!"

"Yeah, Sophie," Nina agreed, "we're a team. We should know each other."

I can't do that. It'll lead me to my death.

"I really don't think I know him," I said, "if I met him in the past, I may have forgotten."

Maxine sighed, "But he remembers you! You have to feel proud!"

"Exactly!" Psyche agreed, "he's like the hottest guy on earth!"

More like the coldest and meanest piece of ice.

"If you're acquaintances with, then we can hang out with the Erotes any time we want!" Maxine exclaimed.

"Omg! That's so cool!" Psyche squealed, "I can't wait to have meals with them every single day!"

Heather scoffed—how I knew it was Heather was a mystery even to me—and said, "Don't forget that the Sirens are always at their table," she said the word sirens like it was some sort of poison.

"So?" Psyche asked, "they're great company!"

Except the one who was so incredibly arrogant.

"No they aren't," Heather said forcefully.

"I don't want to sit with them today," I told them honestly. I don't want to sit with the man who would probably turn me in to the officials.

Psyche pouted, "It would be fun!"

I smiled apologetically, "I really don't want to. But if you want, I'll just talk to them and tell them you want to sit with them."

Psyche groaned, "Never mind. It would be embarrassing."

"Now you become embarrassed. You weren't shy with pestering Sophie about sitting with the guys," Maxine stated.

Psyche scoffed, "Don't talk like you weren't part of the plan."

Maxine shrugged and pulled me away from Psyche, "Let's go! I'm hungry."

I chuckled at that and let myself be dragged to the cafeteria. The place was buzzing with all the people inside. There were idols, managers, trainees, and back-up dancers. They mingled with each other and treated each other equally. It was nice seeing all of them being nice to each other.

"Come on, let's sit there," Maxine pointed to the table beside the Erotes and Sirens, "we can't sit with them but at least we're beside them."

I laughed a little and shook my head as I got pulled to that table. My other teammates sat down except for Alyssa and Fiona who volunteered to order food for us.

I sat directly behind Derek with my back to him. I wanted to change seats with Heather because she was behind Tony but she rolled her eyes and ignored me. I sighed in defeat.

I waited patiently for the food to arrive while the other girls conversed with each other. Without meaning to, I overheard the conversation of the Sirens and the Erotes.

"So!" A girl said merrily, "you're new here?"

A moment of silence. I was assuming that he nodded.

"I'm Vanessa," the girl introduced with a happy-go-lucky tone.

"My name is Haris."

I clenched my left fist under the table. I swear, if that Vanessa touches what's mine, I'll tear her head off from her body. My other hand instinctively gripped the necklace that Tony gave me on my birthday that I wore as a bracelet.

"A nice name," she commented, "do you, perhaps, have someone particular in your heart? Ow!"

"Don't mind her, Haris," another woman's voice said. "She's just very desperate to get a boyfriend. I'm Charmaine."

"Nice to meet you," he answered, "and to answer your question, Vanessa, yes I do."

I resisted the urge to smile at that. My hands were now folded neatly on my lap. I beamed at Alyssa as she and Fiona placed the food on the table.

"Why are you so happy?" Alyssa asked.

I shrugged, "No particular reason."

"Oh?" A familiar voice ventured, "Sophie! Hey! How are you?" Ayumi asked and waved over to me.

I smiled at her, "I'm doing great, Ayumi. How are you?"

"I'm great too!" She exclaimed happily. She faced Derek and said, "Hey Derek, have you met her? She's awesome!"

Derek glanced behind to meet my eyes. A little smirk formed on his lips as he turned back, "Yeah but I don't think 'awesome' is the right word to use."

Extra super duper extremely most awesomest person in the whole wide world.

"Really?" Ayumi asked innocently.

Derek nodded, "I believe the right term is 'my property'."

My jaw clenched along with my hands. Slowly turning my head towards him with an evil look in my eyes, I asked, "What did you just say?"

He was unfazed, however. Tony, on the other hand, pleaded with his eyes to cut it off. I ignored him.

"I told you didn't I? You're mine," he stated.

"No one owns me, Derek," I spat, "I own myself and I can do what I want."

He smirked, "Tell that to your parents. Oh wait, they're dead."

I clenched my fists tighter, trying not to punch this guy. My eyes were getting teary at the thought of my parents.

I took a deep breath to hopefully calm down, "Excuse me."

I dashed to the comfort room while I heard Derek's snicker. I heard Ayumi scolding the guy and my teammates struggling to get out of their seats to catch up to me.

I slammed the door when I git inside. Thankfully, there weren't any people inside. I stopped resisting the tears and let them flow. The thought of my deceased family pounded on my heart and crushed it to pieces.

My hand found its way to my chest and pounded it hard as if it could stop the hurting. Instead of the pain lessening, it got worse with my hand pounding on the key necklace that Abigail gave me.

I remembered my mother's loving smile. Her smile that reassured me that everything would be alright. The way my father held me when the kids bullied me at school. Austin's protectiveness and kindness towards me. The way he always joins me in the stupid things I do. Atlas's threats to the boys who come near me. His stubbornness and his constant annoyance. Xavier's carefree attitude. His innocence towards love. Vince's creativity and cuteness. His love for guns.

I heard a soft knock on the door followed by a voice, "Haidee? I'm here."

The sound of his voice made me sit up from the floor and open the door separating us. I quickly hugged him for comfort as he stroked my hair.

I sobbed into his shirt, making it wet, but he didn't care.

"I'm here, Dee," he whispered, "we're together."

I nodded unto his wet shirt, melting into his warm and comforting embrace.